Key events
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Traffic, crowds
In parts of Seoul and elsewhere in the country, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to turn out for opposing rallies. Authorities say some of central Seoul’s main thoroughfares may be closed to traffic.
The Seoul subway’s Anguk station, which is near the court, will be closed all day and trains will not stop there.
Closures
The 11 schools and kindergartens within a 1km radius of the constitution court in Seoul will be closed all day on Friday.
National museums near the court and three royal palaces that are popular tourist destinations, including the Gyeongbokgung and the Unesco world heritage Changdeokgung will be closed to the public on Friday and possibly other days if needed.
The US embassy in South Korea said routine consular operations such as visa interviews would be cancelled on Friday and advised Americans to exercise caution around crowds and rallies.
South Korea is bracing for a potentially violent public reaction to the constitutional court ruling on whether to remove Yoon Suk Yeol from office or reinstate the impeached president.
Reuters has this rundown on some of the security measures being taken in and around the constitutional court in central Seoul and elsewhere in the capital in the lead-up to today’s verdict.
The court
A 150-metre stretch of a four-lane street in front of the court will be closed to cars and pedestrians, with several layers of police buses parked bumper to bumper along both sides of the road and their wheels chained.
A 1.85 km radius around the court has been declared a no-fly zone for Friday, as reported earlier, with equipment deployed to disable drones.
The eight justices of the court already have security protection and acting president Han Duck-soo has directed the police to step up protection for them.
Police
The police have warned of zero tolerance for any illegal activities related to the court decision, following a mob rampage at another court after it approved a warrant for Yoon’s detention on 26 January.
Authorities were also caught off guard by the violent protest following the ruling ousting former president Park Geun-hye in 2017, when four Park supporters were killed and scores injured, including police.
More than 14,000 police officers will be mobilised throughout Seoul. They have been authorised to use pepper spray and batons if needed. South Korean police have unofficially stopped using tear gas and water cannon for crowd control after deaths in past protests.
Continued next post
In today’s lead-up to the constitutional court ruling – scheduled to begin in under half an hour – large crowds of Yoon Suk Yeol’s supporters and detractors have gathered in Seoul.
Live footage showed many of his backers near the presidential residence waving South Korean or US flags as roused voices addressed them over loudspeakers in what resembled a festival atmosphere amid music, horns, clattering objects and group singing.
Demonstrators against Yoon near the constitutional court also held flags and waved placards as music played and some sang along, in between amplified voices rallying the crowd.
Opening
Welcome to our live coverage of the South Korean constitutional court’s ruling on the impeachment of President Yoon Suk Yeol after months of political turmoil.
The court in Seoul will decide whether to remove or reinstate Yoon after he imposed martial law in December and triggered South Korea’s worst political crisis in decades.
His fate has been hanging in the balance after the court defied expectations of a swift ruling on whether violated his constitutional duty, instead deliberating for more than five weeks in tight secrecy as public unrest swelled. The court is scheduled to deliver its ruling at 11am local time (0200 GMT) on Friday in a nationally televised session, Reuters reports.
Police are bracing for potential violence and planned to mobilise more than 14,000 officers in the capital.
Yoon, 64, is not expected to attend, but if stripped of the presidency would become the second South Korean leader to be impeached by the court after Park Geun-hye in 2017.
Yoon was suspended by legislators over his short-lived martial law declaration on 3 December, which led to armed soldiers being deployed to parliament. He was also arrested over a separate criminal trial on insurrection charges.
In other developments:
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A 100-metre radius has been imposed outside the constitutional court building to prevent demonstrations, report Raphael Rashid and Justin McCurry, and the security clampdown extends well beyond the barricades. A no-fly zone has been imposed over the court, with police deploying signal jammers against unauthorised drones. Petrol stations near the court were to be closed to prevent arson attacks, and rooftop access to high-rise buildings restricted.
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Embassies including the US, French, Russian and Chinese have warned citizens to avoid mass gatherings in connection with today’s verdict.
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At least six of the constitutional court’s eight justices must vote to remove Yoon – approving the impeachment motion passed by MPs in mid-December – otherwise he will be reinstated. Removal would trigger a presidential election that must be held within 60 days. Reinstatement would mean Yoon’s presidential powers will be immediately restored.
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Yoon has defended his 3 December attempt to subvert civilian rule as necessary to root out “anti-state forces”. He still commands the backing of extreme supporters, who have staged protests for weeks in the run-up to today’s verdict. At least two staunch Yoon supporters have died after self-immolating in protest against his impeachment.
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A Gallup Korea poll released last week showed 60% of respondents saying Yoon should be ousted.
